HARMONY — As a new year begins, a new fire company aims to better serve its communities.

The Harmony Fire District is “already operational for the most part,” said fire merger committee chairman Jay Grinnell.

“There’s still little details of the merger being put together, like titles being transferred from the old departments,” Grinnell said.

The fire district is the result of efforts to consolidate the former Harmony Volunteer Fire Company and the Zelienople Volunteer Fire Company into one entity.

“We are looking to expand the services we provide and make a bigger and better volunteer fire district for Harmony, Zelienople, Jackson and Lancaster,” fire district chief Scott Garing said.

Both Zelienople and Harmony fire departments voted to merge in February. Talks to consolidate the fire departments go back to the early ’90s, fire district President Tim Sapienza said.

Approval from the state Attorney General’s Office took longer than expected. The fire district received approval in October, more than eight months after being sought.

The merger was done in an effort to better serve local communities. It also addresses the need for volunteer firefighters in Jackson and Lancaster townships and cuts costs.

Garing said the district has 99 members, including lifetime members, inactive members, police and auxiliary members.

The district will also have four fire engines, a ladder truck, a rescue truck, two squads, two command vehicles and a brush truck. Three older fire vehicles from the former Zelienople and Harmony fire departments have been sold.

Garing said the district is looking to purchase a new ladder truck.

Grinnell said in the past, the Zelienople fire department’s volunteers were “well-trained,” but had aging equipment while the Harmony fire department had good equipment, but a low number of trained volunteers.

“The advantages in the long run will be better membership, better training and quicker responses,” Grinnell said.

Garing and Sapienza said combining resources will aid in better service and more manpower.

“We have two companies that are so close, it makes sense to have the manpower respond on every call from one station,” Sapienza said.

The fire district will also retain its 501c3 nonprofit status just as the Harmony Volunteer Fire Department had. Zelienople’s fire department was funded by the borough.

The Harmony Volunteer Fire Company was created in 1874, originally serving its namesake borough and later expanded to serve Jackson and Lancaster townships. The fire company’s station has been at Doc Stewart Hall on the corner of Main and Mercer streets since the 1930s.

The Zelienople Volunteer Fire Company has been serving its namesake borough since 1850.

The fire district’s temporary headquarters is at the Harmony Volunteer Fire Department station on Main Street in Harmony. The fire station in Lancaster Township will also be open.

The district is looking for a new location to call home. Fire officials said they have a place in mind, but would not disclose where it is.